Chapter 263 Why the Assassination Attempt? Women and the Empire
The setting sun cast its last rays, turning the horizon blood red.
Ji Qingwu ran all the way from Qianyuan Hall to the palace gate, where she could see the carriages returning in the distance.
Instead of departing in a grand procession, they first sent back a small group of people.
Ji Qingwu clenched his fists, his lips trembling slightly. He was eager to see Emperor Wusu, but as he watched the emperor's carriage move closer and closer, his feet seemed to be rooted to the ground, unable to move.
Her heart was so frantic that she couldn't hear a beat.
Ji Qingwu suddenly felt very scared and timid, afraid of seeing something terrible...
Duan Mingfeng led the way, and Ji Qingwu, adjusting her breathing, took a few steps forward.
Duan Mingfeng had already seen the woman in green robes waiting at the palace gate. His face was as gloomy as charcoal, heavy and oppressive.
Ji Qingwu saw that he had no injuries and did not appear to have been in a fight.
A sliver of hope remained in her heart as she asked, "Lord Duan, is it...?"
Duan Mingfeng frowned and said, "Miss Ji, it's more important to go to the palace first and ask the imperial physicians for a consultation."
Ji Qingwu's gaze shifted to the car frame behind him.
The curved beams, adorned with gilded cloud patterns, and the curtains of golden cloud-leaf blue satin draped from the top of the carriage to the carriage trunk, obscuring the state of the people inside.
Before anyone could react, Ji Qingwu strode towards the imperial carriage.
The moment her hand touched the curtain, it was stopped by the imperial guards beside her, and her hand grasped nothing.
She and he were separated only by a curtain.
With a pleading look in his eyes, Ji Qingwu said, "I understand medicine. Please let me go up and check on His Majesty's injuries."
Two silver spears were held at her neck, preventing her from advancing an inch.
She turned her head and saw that the person riding the chestnut horse was Lu Juan.
Ji Qingwu hurriedly said, "I know medicine. Lord Lu and Lord Duan can testify to that. I don't want to do anything else, I just want to check His Majesty's injuries."
Lu Juan's face was clouded with worry, and he said without a trace of a smile, "Fifth Sister, please step aside and let the caravan enter the palace."
With tears welling in her eyes, Ji Qingwu said urgently, "We can't afford to delay in treating patients and saving lives. We can't waste any time now."
At that moment, the curtain embroidered with golden clouds was lifted by a hand.
Ji Qingwu immediately looked up and saw a woman's hand painted with nail polish.
A woman's displeased voice came from the imperial carriage.
"You insolent fools! Don't you know what's more urgent right now? Guards, take her away immediately and send the Emperor back to Zhaoyang Palace."
That voice... it was Consort Wei accompanying Emperor Wusu.
As soon as the curtain was slightly lifted, the light in Ji Qingwu's eyes vanished.
She could smell the strong stench of blood emanating from inside, mixed with a faint scent of ambergris.
He was seriously injured and in critical condition.
Before the Imperial Guards could obey orders and pull Ji Qingwu away, she stepped back first, and no one saw clearly how she pulled the tall Imperial Guards off their horses.
Ji Qingwu intercepted a horse, mounted it, and rode away.
No one knew where she was going.
The carriages continued towards the Phoenix Palace.
*
Zhaoyang Palace.
The Empress Dowager, Prince Yong, Princess Huachang, and Princess Qingyun were among the troops who followed behind, and their pace was slower; they had only just returned to the palace.
As the group approached the entrance of Zhaoyang Palace, they saw basins of blood being carried out of the palace one after another.
Upon witnessing such a bloody scene, Princess Huachang nearly tripped and fell. It was only thanks to Prince Yong's help that she regained her balance.
"Elder sister, be careful."
On the way back, she had already cried a lot, and her eyes were red and swollen. Princess Huachang pushed Prince Yong aside and walked into the palace first.
They saw a large group of imperial physicians kneeling in the hall, and gauze curtains hanging in front of the dragon bed in the inner hall.
Wei Ting stood outside the curtain, holding an imperial edict written in the emperor's own hand, reinstating him as General of the Northern Garrison and entrusting him with the responsibility of palace security when the emperor was not in the palace.
The head of the Imperial Medical Academy, nearing seventy, knelt beside the emperor's bed, cleaning his wounds.
Princess Huachang saw Yuan Heng standing in the corner and called him to her side.
He asked, "How is the situation?"
Wei Ting glanced at the Empress Dowager who had just entered the room and whispered in her ear, "Your Highness, Physician Chen is inside, but his condition is not good. Please prepare yourself mentally."
Princess Huachang's pregnancy was already obvious. She sat down, supporting her lower back, and resumed her cold and aloof demeanor.
He forced himself to remain calm and said, "Good people are always protected by heaven; His Majesty will be alright."
The Empress Dowager, Prince Yong, and Princess Qingyun all sat down in the outer room, waiting for the results inside.
Half an incense stick's time has passed.
When Chen Yuanzheng and Wei Liru came out together, the Empress Dowager glared at Consort Wei.
He began, "Imperial Physician Chen, how is the Emperor's condition?"
Chen Yuanzheng knelt on the ground and said, "The arrow wound that the Emperor suffered is too close to his heart meridian. His pulse is extremely weak now. This old minister has used all his knowledge and can only maintain it for a short time. It is hard to say what will happen afterward."
It's hard to say, meaning it's uncertain whether we'll even see the sun tomorrow.
Wei Ting had never seen Emperor Wu Su so weak, and his heart felt as if a huge rock was pressing down on it.
They had planned everything meticulously beforehand, so why did this unexpected incident occur? Where exactly did the problem lie?
He stared intently and asked, "What happened?"
Before Wei Liru could even speak, she burst into tears.
"It's all my fault... If it weren't for the Emperor saving me, the Emperor wouldn't have been so badly injured."
Why was it to save her?
Seeing his sister weeping with her face covered, unable to explain what had happened, Wei Ting turned to ask Eunuch Li, who was standing quietly to the side.
"How exactly was the Emperor assassinated?"
Tears streamed down Li Yuzong's aged face as he said sorrowfully, "The Imperial Guards are besieging the assassins, while His Majesty is on a higher hillside."
"But suddenly two assassins on horseback appeared, galloping towards us. One of them had... Consort Wei tied to his front."
Li Yuzong paused for a moment, his old eyes filled with tears, and said, "His Majesty had already raised the Xuanyuan Bow, but he has put it down."
At this critical juncture, missing any opportunity is tantamount to giving up one's life.
The Empress Dowager and the others only knew that the Emperor had been assassinated, but they didn't know why. Now they know that it was because of her.
The Empress Dowager glared at Consort Wei, pointed at her, and roared, "You're a femme fatale! If anything happens to the Emperor, you'll pay with your life!"
Princess Huachang looked up through the gauze curtain at the figure lying on the dragon bed, her brows furrowed.
Wei Ting remained silent for a long time; he had not expected Emperor Wu Su to go to such lengths.
If we were in each other's shoes, what would it be like to have a woman and a kingdom...?
With a loud bang!
Suddenly, the sound of something heavy falling came from outside the palace gate.
Xiao Dongzi, standing at the door, looked at the stunned woman in front of him with heartache.
"Miss Ji..."
Ji Qingwu acted as if nothing had happened, picking up the brocade bag that had just fallen to the ground.
But this time she didn't barge in; instead, she asked a question first.
"Should I be allowed in?"
Upon hearing the commotion, Princess Huachang stood up urgently and called out loudly, "Please come in quickly!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
